Rotary swing or roundabout



June 7, 1938.

H. J. GUNDREY ROTARY SWING OR ROUNDABOUT Filed July 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 #Gundfey Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT orrres 2 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of amusement devices and pertains particularly to roundabouts.

Thepresent invention has for its primary ob ject to provide a novel type of roundabout for children, in which a circular seat is supported upon a rotatably mounted centrally disposed body and has associated therewith a continuous hand rail by which the rotation of the seat is facilitated by occupants of the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved roundabout having a circular seat provided with a continuous hand rail disposed inwardly of the inner edge thereof and a continuous back rest disposed outwardly of the outer edge, in association with a continuous hand rail arranged concentrically with the seat and disposed inwardly of the inner edge thereof so that occupants of the seat, facing toward the center about which the seat turns, may continually impart rotary motion to the seat by means of the rail while at the same time bracing their feet against an underlying footrest and leaning backwardly against the outwardly disposed back rest.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel type of roundabout in which a novel means is provided for rotatably supporting a series of radially disposed seat supporting or carriage arms.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in association with a roundabout having a series of seat carrying arms radiating from a rotary circular casting, a novel means for supporting the outer portions of the arms whereby the latter will be eifectively supported and the rotation of the structure will be made smooth and quiet.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed inthe appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the amusement device embodying the present invention, a portion of the top or hood structure being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section on the 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 2. 7

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

line

the numeral l generally designates a supporting" base block for the roundabout, the same being preferably oi cast cement and having surrounding its top the extended portion 2 in which a portion of theroundabout structure, to be hereinafter described, is mounted.

Secured in the base and extending vertically therefrom is a fixed standard which is generally 7 indicated by the numeral 3. This standard consists of .a base post t, which has its lower end fixed in the center of the base block and held against rotation therein by the laterally extending pins 5, which pass thru it, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The upper end of the base post is threaded and has threadaoly coupled thereon the lower enlarged portion of a fixed casting S, the upper end of which is slightly reduced and provided with the upwardly directed socket l in which is mounted the lower end of an upper post 8. In order to prevent the casting 6 from turning upon the upper end of the post 1, set screws 9 are threaded thereinto which abut the threaded portion of the post, and similar screws iii are threaded into the reduced upper part of the casting 6 for engagement with the lower end of the upper post 8. By means of these screws and the casting 6, the upper and lower posts and 8 are integrally connected.

The upper end of the upper post 8 is screwthreaded for engagement in the threaded socket I! formed in the under side of an upper casting l2, and the upper end of this casting has a reduced threaded socket or passage l3in which the lower end of a vertically disposed staff I l is secured, which staff is designed to carry a flag or pennant l5, as illustrated.

Surrounding the lower part of the upper post 3 is a sleeve which is secured to the post in any suitable manner such as by the use of the transverse pins ii, and which has a surrounding flange portion I8 which is provided with the radially directed threaded apertures 19. Each of the threaded apertures lQ'has threadably secured therein an endof a hand rail supporting arm 29, and these arms at their outer ends carry coupling units 2! by means of which the engagement between their ends of handle bars 22 is effected. As the arms 28 are all of the same length, the several handle bars 22 will be coupled together so as to form a substantially circular,

hand rail.

In order to more efiectively support the arms 20, the, same are connected adjacent their outer ends with the ears 23 formed integrally about the top casting l2, by the brace rods 24. These rods are in two parts which are coupled together by a turn buckle 25 so that the proper amountof tension or upward pull may be exerted upon the arms to support them at the proper e1evation.-.

Encircling the upper part of the standard 3 I the base post is a circular rotary casting 30which 1 isa conical hoodor roof 25, the lower edge of which rests upon the hand rail arms and is secured thereto by meansof the ,U-bolts 21 in themanner illustrated in detail in Fig. 4. Y

Mounted upon the base block .5 and encircling the base post is a bearing ball race "28 carrying bearing balls 29. Encircling the upper part of,

has its under side out out to form a bearing surface for contact with the balls 29, as indicated The top surface of the casting 36 has a raceway for the reception of bearing balls 32 and the under surface of the fixed casting 5 is simiqlarly formedsothat these balls will be maintained in position between the fixed and rotary castings, as illustrated. Vertically disposed roller bearings 33 encircle the base post andare interposed between the rotary casting and the post,

as illustrated, so that these bearings andthe bearing balls cause the rotary casting to revolve freely and smoothly about the. fixed post.

The rotary casting 39 has the circular flange portion 3 1 which is provided with outwardly directed slots 35 'in each of which the downwardly 25 offset portion 3 b of a carriage arm 3'? isdisposed. These arms 3] preferably equal in number the hand rail supporting armsZG and they are preferably of channeled cross-section, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The'downwardly offset inner ends of the carriage arms are secured in their respective slots by the securing screws 38 and the outer ends of these arms are connected by the seat boards 39.

Secured to the under side of each carriage arm adjacent its outer end, is a depending bracket all, and these brackets are coupled by the bars or 43 which provide a back rest for an occupant of the seat. As shown, the vertical brackets lean outwardly slightly so that the back rest is disposed outwardly of the outer edges of the seat boards 39J- Resting upon the extended portion 2. of the base block is an annular trough-like body 4 1 which is concentric with the base post 4 and is provided tocontain lubricating oil for the constant lubrication of caster wheels 45 which are secured to the overlying under surface of each carriage arm 31. An annular downwardly directed hood unit 46 is arranged concentrically with the base post and over the upwardly opening trough 44 and is supported upon the carriage arms 37 in the manner illustrated, to prevent dirt entering the oil in the oil channel, and also preventing the oil from splashing out onto the occupants of the device.

a From the foregoing it will be readily' apparent that in the use of the roundabout the occupants of the same will rest upon the seat boards 39 and face the standard 3. When in this position they may conveniently grasp the handle rails 22 and by pulling upon the same cause the rotary cast ;ing and the other structure coupled therewith to turn on the bearings about the standard. Due to '2 and extend across the underside of the oil the novel construction of the device, the same will carry a large number of persons without the he- I cessity of using heavy materials or an excessive 7 novel coupling arrangement between the several parts. i

' In order that the oil receptacle 44 may be firmly maintained in position, it is preferred that it be connected with the post 4 by a series of arms 36'. As shown in Fig. 2, these arms radiate from the post and are buried in the cement body receptacle to which they are secured.

In order that children or others riding upon the roundabout may use the samein wet weather The device may alsobe Withoutgetting the feet muddy or carrying mud onto the seats, there! is provided the circular cement walkway 4?, the overall diameter of which is materially greaterthan that of the roundabout,

and the outer'part of this walkway is sloped off,

as indicated at 48, so that access may bereadily had thereto, as it is preferred that the walk be raised approximately eight inches .above the ground surface.

What'is claimed is: I 1. A roundabout, comprising a base having a flat top surface, a standard fixed verticallyin said base, and comprising a lower base post, an upper postand a fixed casting coupling the posts, said fixed casting being maintained at an elevation above the top surface of the base, a circular] rotary casting encircling the base post and interposed between the fixed casting and said base surface, anti-friction bearings between the rotary casting'and the fixed casting and between the},

arms and concentric with the standard, said handrail being of materially less outside diameter than the overall diameter of said seat structure where by occupants of the seat may conveniently grasp the hand rail. 7 a

'2. An amusement device, comprising a base formed to provide an annular walkeway enclosing a sunken central floor-area. a standard fixed vertically in the center of said area, a bearing encircling the standard and resting on said floor area, a casting encircling the standard and resting on said bearing to rotate about the standard,

said casting having a peripheral recess, a plurality of arms each having an end secured in said recess and extending radially from the casing, a continuous seat supported on the arms and encircling the standard, a. series of brackets suspended from said seat adjacent the inner edge thereof, a foot rail supported by said brackets withinthe area defined by the walk-way and just above said floor area, a continuous back for said seat adjacent the outer edgev thereof, and means facilitating the rotation of the seat andother parts supported by said bearing, by persons sit", ting on the-seat.

, HARLEY J. GUNDREY. 

